Kuala Lumpur: After a three week break, the second half of Malaysia's first professional badminton league - Kopiko Purple League will kick into full gear on January 2, 2015.

Second half of the season will see the addition of world number three Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark and world number 4 Kenichi Tago of Japan. Jorgensen and Tago will play for Petaling BC. In addition, the number two team in Purple League, Muar City BC have also picked up a big name in women's singles, the BWF Superseries Finals women's singles champion Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan.

Jan O Jorgensen (right) will be the main attraction as second half of Purple League begins on Jan 2, 2015

Kuala Lumpur: World number 2 Chen Long faces a much easier path to the final of World Championships, after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on Friday that Kenichi Tago of Japan has pulled out of the tournament which will be held in Copenhagen from Aug 25 to 31.

Kenichi Tago’s (left) withdrawal had made Chen Long’s road to the final much easier!

Jakarta: Torch got passed in Jakarta on Sunday night. Despite being crowned several titles in Europe such as 2010 Denmark Open and French Open last year, Denmark's Jan O. Jorgensen has yet to win a championship in other continents until Sunday. After his breakthrough win against Kenichi Tago in the Indonesia Open final, he has become one of the most dangerous badminton player from Denmark after Peter Gade.

Jakarta: World number one Lee Chong Wei was knocked out of the Indonesia Open in the semi-finals on Saturday in a shock loss to fourth-seed Kenichi Tago of Japan.The Malaysian could not keep up with Tago in the first game, making unforced errors and placing the shuttle wide of the sidelines."Tago played better and more aggressively today," said Chong Wei.

Jan O Jorgensen have discovered the secret formula on how to defeat top Chinese shuttlers by defeating Lin Dan in last week's Japan Open and Chen Long in Indonesia Open

Tokyo: World number one is now one victory away from becoming the first man to win five Japan Open titles.

Lee Chong Wei is seeking a fifth Japan Open title

Lee Chong Wei extended his mastery over Kenichi Tago as he stopped the Japanese 21-15, 21-17 in a dominant semi-final win lasting 47 minutes. Chong Wei will play the "giant slayer" of the tournament, Hu Yun from Hong Kong. Hu Yun had played some of the most thrilling badminton of the tournament to beat world number two, Chen Long in the quarter final, and world number three Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 21-13, 19-21, 21-15 in a 62-minute semi-final match. On Sunday, Chong Wei needs to watch out for Hu Yun as the way Hu is playing, he is capable of knocking off the defending champ in the final.

Japan pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Thomas Cup history Friday night by knocking out nine-time Thomas Cup champions and defending champions China 3-0 in the semi-final.

Kento Momota sealed the last point for Japan's 3-0 win over China in the Thomas Cup semi-finals.

World No. 4 Kenichi Tago started aggressively early in the first game. His persistent attacks was able to dismantle Chen Long's defense and quickly closing down his Chinese opponent with 21-13 win. Kenichi continued his hot streak in second game to overcome Chen Long 21-11 to grab the first point for Japan in 43 minutes.

BUKIT JALIL: With his fiery red new hairstyle, Japan’s rising star Kento Momota is ready to take the world by storm.

The 2012 world junior champion from the Kagawa prefecture has been enjoying a stellar rise through the ranks.

Last year, Momota, who turned 20 last Thursday, achieved a career best as he made the semi-finals of the China Open, before losing to China’s Wang Zhengming.

Having risen significantly through the ranks, from No. 89 last January to a current career high of No. 17 in the world, Momota who sports a cool and calm demeanour much like Lin Dan, believes he can only get better.

There are many incentives to spur the young Momota to do well, especially with Japan setting their sights on the Thomas Cup Finals which will be held in New Delhi in May.

Momota is currently the third-ranked Japanese, behind world No. 5 Kenichi Tago and Takuma Ueda who is No. 15.

KUALA LUMPUR: World badminton number one Lee Chong Wei is one step closer to winning the Korean Open Super Series Badminton Tournament Championship for the fourth time after confirming a slot in the finals on Sunday.

The Malaysian beat fifth-seeded Kenichi Tago from Japan 21-17, 21-17 in a thrilling 51-minute semi-final match at the Olympics 2 Stadium in Seoul on Saturday.

However, he is expected to receive stiff resistance from rival Chen Long of China, who disposed veteran Thai player Boonsak Ponsana 21-15 and 21-9.

KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei has had enough of being the sole flag bearer for Malaysian badminton on the international scene.

And on Friday, after reaching the men’s singles’ semi-finals of the Korean Open in Seoul, he issued a clarion call to all his team-mates – especially the younger ones – to wake up and step out of their comfort zone.

The 31-year-old Chong Wei bulldozed past a hapless Du Pengyu of China 21-9, 21-12 in just 35 minutes to set up a meeting with Japan’s Kenichi Tago in the semi-finals on Saturday.

He is the only Malaysian survivor in the season-opener after Lim Khim Wah-Goh V Shem went down with a whimper against top seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

The Malaysians lost 10-21, 9-21 in just 31 minutes.

Two-time Olympic Games silver medallist Chong Wei said that it was time everyone stopped depending on him, starting with the Korean Open.